The Burning Mirage - Book 01
by coolmccool5
Summary: Based off the manga and anime series Area 88, this first in a series of stories will revolve around a pilot from White Sun who was tricked into joining the mercenaries serving in the Kingdom of Asran. Part of the world of Rostil in Max Barry's NationStates. Rating may go up as the story progresses. Disclaimer in the first chapter.
1. Skies of Betrayal

_The Kingdom of Asran, a nation in Northern Africanus, or Northern Tehom, depending on who you're talking to. Asran is a nation that has been in a state of civil war since nineteen seventy-five, and it doesn't seem to be ending anytime soon. Area 88 Air Base is a bitter, blood-stained battlefield even of itself; the front lines' front line. Even the simple luxury of walking on the tarmac is dependent on the graces of this nation's god._

 _Mercenaries, however, abandoned God and shook hands with the Devil..._

 **THE BURNING MIRAGE**

 **BOOK 01**

 **SKIES OF BETRAYAL**

 **CHAPTER 01**

 **Near the village of Afrah, Kingdom of Asran**

 **11 April, 1979 - 1146 Hours**

A group of four Birkanian-built T-62 tanks move southward toward an enemy line, the sound of treads moving through hard desert sand clearly audible. Suddenly one of the T-62s exploded. The cause of the explosion, a Vought F-8J Crusader with a flaming unicorn emblem on the tail, flies overhead, going around for another pass. Realizing that they were sitting ducks, the crews of the remaining T-62s bailed out and started running. The Crusader fires its cannons and strafes the tanks in multiple passes until they were flaming hulks.

"Area 88 Double Echo, the Rebels' tanks are heading south from point Three-Bravo in the northern sector. This is Kazama Shin, Zero-Zero Section. Repeat. This is Kazama Shin, Zero-Zero Section." the Crusader's pilot stated over the radio.

As the pilot, Shin Kazama, a twenty-seven year old Sunese male, continued patrolling the area for more enemies. Sure enough, more tanks, this time T-54s. "Good. More tanks. Alright, anyone else in this airspace, stay away from these targets. They're mine."

Rolling in, Shin starts getting a bead on the T-54s. "I spent a lot of money on this Crusader, so let me make up for it, okay?" he said to himself just before he pulls the trigger. After a few passes, the T-54s were hulks with their crews either dead or running.

Leveling out his plane, Shin says to himself, "Looks like I've made over six thousand Dollars today." He then tunes to the base's frequency, "This is Kazama Shin, Zero-Zero Section, the Rebel tanks in this sector have been destroyed. Returning to base."

 **Area 88 Air Base, Kingdom of Asran**

 **1203 Hours**

"You are cleared to land." Area 88 Air Base's control tower informed Shin as he brought his F-8J in on final approach.

"Copy." Shin flatly replied as he brought the Crusader in smoothly. Upon landing, he taxied to the apron and shut down his engine.

"Welcome back. How did things go for you?" Gustav, a twenty-seven year old Prussian who is the head of the base's technician group, asked Shin as the Crusader's canopy opened.

"Everything went okay this time. This plane's well worth the three hundred grand I had to spend on it. Even so..." Shin replied as he undid his oxygen mask showing a face of moral anguish, "I can't go back home to White Sun. My debts are keeping me here."

"Don't worry, I'm sure that the Athena Corporation is doing its best to get your situation sorted out." Gustav said, trying to reassure his top scoring fighter pilot.

Stepping out onto the apron, the Sunese pilot was met by the base commander, Prince Saki Vashtal. A thirty year old Asrani male with long, dark hair and an X-shaped scar on his forehead; a man that Shin inwardly refers to as "the asshole".

"Welcome back, Kazama. It appears you made a fortune today." Saki greeted without a hint of positive emotion.

"Yeah, I destroyed six or seven Rebel tanks. I figure I made around six to eight grand." Shin replied, trying to show even a trace of positive emotion.

"There's a meeting in the briefing room at eighteen thirty, after mess hour. I'll be covering tomorrow's operation. Your kills have been recorded by the plane's cameras. Get the film down to records immediately. You'll have your results in an hour. Any questions?" the Asrani prince instructed Shin insistently.

"Not particularly." Shin responded with a slight smirk on his face.

"Then get some rest. You've earned it." Saki finished as he walked off back to the command building. Shin glanced and headed along the parked rows of aircraft toward the barracks. On the way over, he came across an old man standing slumped over with his hands behind his back. Noticing Shin, the old man chuckled. "Ah Shin, welcome back."

"McCoy..." Shin returned the greeting with a scowl on his face. Robert J. McCoy, the base's scrounger and head of Area 88's PX shop, who deals with Californian Dollars as a means of currency transaction. He provides the mercenaries with most of the items that they need such as fighter planes and weapons, as well as with civilian items. "Please attach the Sidewinders to my plane. I also need three hundred rounds for my twenty millimeter cannons." Shin instructed, dreading some sort of omen regarding finances.

Punching in the numbers on a calculator, _Ol' McCoy_ , as he was affectionately called, replied. "You're talking around a thousand bucks." This was the financial omen Shin dreaded. If this were some cartoon made in California, the old man would be having Dollar signs for eyes right about now. The Sunese pilot thus begins the task of bargaining. "That's too much, McCoy. Make it eight hundred."

"Heh heh... How about eight hundred fifty?" McCoy countered. "Fine. You can charge it to my account." Shin replied in a sigh of defeat. The PX shop owner smiles greedily, "Thanks Shin and do come again."

Shin then continued on his way to the barracks. On the way over, a Dassault Mirage IIICJ delta-winged interceptor flies past at low altitude. He then became lost in his thoughts. So deep, that he did not notice that someone new was walking up to him. "Hey. You're the Sunese pilot, right?" Startled, Shin turned to see a Californian man with blonde hair, wearing an old flight suit, like the kind that you would see in movies about the B-17s of the Adriannic War, with jeans. The man appeared to be in his late thirties and had a cocky grin on his face. "The name's Mickey Simon. I'm going to be a member of the Area 88 team starting today." the Californian introduced himself. "What's your name?"

"Kazama Shin." the Sunese pilot responded deftly. "Shin Kazama... That's a mouthful! Well, I guess that's okay. Everyone over there's got odd names, anyhow. Hell, I wouldn't even mind goin' there some day." the Californian pilot Mickey Simon continued, hoping to be friendly with Shin. "I'm gonna make a _ton_ of money here. After that, I'm gonna live like a king! But what am I tellin' you this for? You came here for the bucks too, right? I know all about you Sunese guys. You're a bunch of economic animals."

"If you want to get rich, you're going to have to work hard. I don't know what _you_ think is good money, but the only way to make it is to stay alive." Shin deadpanned.

"Man, what a grump! Aren't you worried about becoming a terminal downer?" Mickey asked, shocked, to which Shin replied, "Not really." It was at this point that Mickey Simon started complaining to himself, "Jeez... I just met the guy with the long hair. You two are really weird dudes. What is with you guys? And who's the hippie anyway?"

Shin, who ignored the first question turned to the Californian and replied to the second question, "He's the base commander. Everyone calls him 'Saki'." Confused, Mickey said to himself, "The _Commander_? He's the Commander? Huh... I never would've guessed it." Shin thus begins explaining, "Area 88 is home to a mercenary air force. We're hired by the Athena Corporation and the Kingdom of Asran to serve a three-year term. It doesn't matter who you are, where you're from or what your record is. We're all a bunch of professional soldiers here. And professional soldiers don't need companions." It was then that Shin continued on his way towards the barracks. He finishes by saying, "See you later."

Arriving in his barrack less than ten minutes later, Shin flips on the light, which also turns on the air conditioner. "Shit! How long do I have to put up with this noisy air conditioner? It's driving me insane!" the Sunese fighter pilot complained to himself as he unzipped his flight jacket. The room wasn't decorative or anything. There was only a bed to sleep in and a table with a large water jug on it to keep him hydrated. As he put his flight helmet onto the table, he glanced over to the calendar. The month of April, nineteen seventy-nine, but with the first ten days of the month crossed out. Silently, he gets out a pen and crosses out today's date. "Two years and three months left..." he says with a look of sadness on his face. He sits down on the bed and thinks, holding a glass of water in his hand. "Two more years..." He suddenly snapped, throwing the glass of water at the wall, shattering it instantly. Holding his head, tears spill out of his eyes. "Oh Kami... I... I can't take this anymore!" Laying down on the bed, he sobs, "I want to go home! I want to live in Edo again! I want to see Ryoko!"

It was at this moment that the base's intercom turned on.

 **1830 Hours**

The briefing room was loud with mercenary pilots socializing and thick with cigarette smoke. Mercenaries from all over the world occupy this room. Pilots from California, Euro-Asia, Poland-Lithuania, Rome, Belkaland, Azhadstan, Nubia, and even the Amethia region, and everywhere in between, all gathered in this room. All the pilots have a reason for being here. Most of them, like Mickey Simon, simply came here to get rich; some joined just to make ends meet for himself or his family; others like twenty-two year old New Edwardian pilot Kristopher Morison joined because they have no where else to go; and some just for the sheer excitement of it all.

"I swear to you, Beusuandille will rise as an empire once again!" Beusuan pilot Désiré Jacques stated to a group of Eurasian, Amerii and Roman pilots, only to receive an irritated scowl in return; most notably, the ones from Euro-Asia.

Shin quietly sat in the corner, with the newcomer, Mickey Simon, doing the same just next to him. The doors to the briefing room opened, revealing Prince Saki Vashtal and his confidant, a forty-six year old Briton named Roundel, walking in. "Here they come..." the Beusuan pilot says with a hint of dread. The room stilled to a hush as the Asrani prince and his confidant walked up to the podium with a map of the mission area behind them. Once there, Saki began informing the pilots, "Listen up! I'm going to cover tomorrow's mission, so pay attention! The target is an anti-aircraft and surface-to-air missile base at point Two-Charlie in the northern sector."

"The _Devil's Rose Gardens_ , huh?" a thirty-seven year old, bearded Eurasian mercenary pilot named Greg Gates, thought out loud. Saki continued, "Tomorrow afternoon, the Asrani Regular Air Force will begin a new offensive campaign against the enemy. We will have to destroy or seriously impair the base's defensive capabilities. Prepare yourselves. We leave in six hours."

"Jesus Christ! I don't want to fly into that shit!" a Sylvan pilot said to the others. "It'll be like flying right into an ocean of bullets and missiles! To hell with that noise!" a thirty-six year old Australian pilot named Hank Bowman shouted, frightened. "Saki! I'm not going on this mission." Shin raised his hand and told the base commander. "Either you go, Kazama, or I will have to fine you five thousand Dollars for disobeying an order." Saki warned. Shin was prepared for this and countered, "Yeah, I'm _well_ aware of that. But even so... If I can save my life for five thousand miserable Dollars, I think that's a bargain."

Saki was becoming irritated by Shin's insubordination. He tries to regain his composure, "Ahem... Does anyone else intend to disobey this order?" While Saki asked this, Mickey leaned over and whispered to his new acquaintance, "Hey Shin. What's all this about? Is this mission really dangerous?" to which Shin explained, "It depends... If you have the latest hardware, including rear working radar and multi-target tracking computers, you've got a better chance of survival. As for me, I'm not sure if I could survive flying into a hail of bullets and missiles with my F-8J Crusader. But hey, you wanted to make money, right? So why not go along? It's more dangerous with fewer pilots, but your share will be a lot better." Mickey turned white as a sheet and didn't utter a single word as Shin continued, "Everyone here is a pro, so compare your equipment with the requirements and choose the missions where the money is good. All you have to do then is come back alive. It's all a game. Lady Luck decides who the winners are."

Darting up out of one of the seats, Hank Bowman stated to the Asrani prince, "Saki, I'm not going either!" Saki deadpanned, "Bowman, you only have two thousand Dollars left in your account. Think again." Realizing he's getting no where with this, Bowman turned to Shin, "Shin, old pal... Can I borrow three grand off ya? I'll pay you right back. I promise." Both Saki and Shin were not buying it. In fact, they were smelling a rat. "Heh heh... You don't mind, right mate? I mean, you've got lots of money in your account. So how about it, huh?"

"No way, Bowman. Go and meet your maker." Shin replied, uncompromising. It was at this point that Bowman started to panic. "Please! Anybody! Is there anyone who can lend me the money?! Come on! Please!" Everyone's answer was just like Shin's; an uncompromising "No". Mickey frowned at Bowman like he was a raving lunatic, but at the same time, he was thinking. A Californian pilot offered his support, "Hey Bowman! I'll help you out, man." This lightened Hank's spirits, "Jeff, you will?" to which, the Californian replied, "Sure, man. We'll form a pair. I'll protect your six, so don't worry." This did not impress the Australian one bit.

Saki then turned to Mickey, "The new pilot, uh, Mick. Since this is your first mission, what do you have to say for yourself?" The Californian newcomer then replied hesitantly, "Uh... I'm not going either." This shocked Shin, and provoked a few jeers and snide remarks from the other pilots in response. Saki finally stated grimly, "All right, Mickey Simon. You and your friend will be fined five thousand Dollars."

Six hours later, both Shin and Mickey were standing on the apron watching as the other mercenaries took off for their mission. The mercenaries were flying a hodgepodge of Western aircraft such as North Irkhallan F-100 Sabres, Douglas A-4 Skyhawks, McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom IIs, and Northrop F-5A Freedom Fighters, while a few of the odd ones out were flying Mirage IIICJs and, in Kristopher Morison's case, a McDonnell F-101C Voodoo.

The Sunese pilot was curious about the newcomer's decision, "So, why didn't you go? I thought you were here to get rich." This got a smug response from the Californian, "Well you see, I had an idea. I realized just how dangerous working from this base is. The missions we get here, and the like... So I say to myself, _Mick, this guy Shin seems to do pretty damn good. Why not follow his example and play it safe?_ "

Shin was about to answer when the sirens for the base started going off. "Enemy formation approaching! Enemy formation approaching!" Shin then stated with a smirk, "Just as I thought! They're coming here! Now it's my turn!" This received a fluster from Mickey, "Shin! Did you just give up five grand 'cause you knew this was going to happen?!" Shin replied putting on his flight helmet, "Of course. The prize money for shooting moving targets like enemy fighters is a lot higher than fixed targets like a missile base. When the risks are the same, I'm always going to take the job that pays better." As Shin and Mickey ran to their jets, the F-8J Crusader and an F-100D Sabre, respectively, Mickey couldn't help but mutter, "Shin, you clever son of a bitch..."

Within minutes of starting up, the Crusader and Super Sabre scrambled to take off. Once in the air, Shin came in sight of a MiG-19 'Farmer'. He was about to get a AIM-9D Sidewinder missile lock, when out of no where, the MiG was incinerated by two AIM-4 Falcon missiles. Glancing to his left, he saw Mickey's F-100 flying in formation with him. "Hey Shin, an Ace doesn't fly without a wingman, you know?" Shin then caught sight of another MiG-19 and he turned to engage. He gets a solid tone in his headset and fires within a matter of seconds "Fox Two!". The MiG-19's starboard wing is torn off by the missile's impact.

"Great shot, Shin! You're just what I figured you'd be." Mickey said to Shin via the radio. Shin remained silent as the two planes returned to land at the base.

A few hours later, the first of the other mercenaries are returning to base. "Looks like they're back." Shin said to no one in particular. The first to land is Prince Saki in his personalized Mirage IIICJ. After parking and getting out of the plane, Saki was greeted by Shin, "Welcome back, sir." to which, Saki replied, "I understand that you and Mickey Simon defended the base. Great work, you two." Shin subsequently responded, "Well, I always take the better paying jobs, as you know." Saki then continued, "Yes, well... It looks as if I will be giving a new mission the day after tomorrow."

As Shin listened, he heard a laughter from behind him. Startled, he turned to see Hank Bowman grinning. "Hey Shin! I destroyed ten bloody missile launchers and five bleedin' tanks at the missile base! I made thirty thousand Dollars, you wanker! You can't be bloody insolent to me anymore!" Shin then asks, skeptically, "So what happened to Jeff?" This got a very cocky, and some would say humiliating, reply from the Briton, "Well... He got hit by a missile. You know, one minute he's there, next he's in pieces. That's life." The response caused a few of the mercenaries to angrily shout, "You bastard!"

Shin nonchalantly thinks out loud, "You can't blame him, really. They're all risking their lives for money." This piques Saki's interest, "What about you, Kazama? What are you fighting for?" to which, Shin simply replies, "The skies that betrayed me..."


	2. The Angel of Death

_A scorching sun... The dry wind... Thin clouds etched by smoke and iron; a concrete highway to the sky. Many rise and fight, but only one pair of broken wings return..._

 **THE BURNING MIRAGE**

 **BOOK 01**

 **SKIES OF BETRAYAL**

 **CHAPTER 02**

 **THE ANGEL OF DEATH**

 **Four thousand feet over the skies of Asran**

 **14 April, 1979 – 04:45 Hours**

En route to a Rebel Army base near the village of Kassaye is a flight of four bomb-laden A-4F Skyhawks led by a bomb-laden F-8J Crusader with a crimson tail fin. The Crusader's pilot, a fifty-three year old former British Royal Air Force pilot named Boris. The Briton makes a hand gesture to the Skyhawks off his left and right wings, and the formation starts zooming to altitude. "Target confirmed." Boris says, looking down on the supply base. The formation rolls in for their bomb run, and the AAA opens up. "Jesus Christ! Every gun in Asran must be down there!" one of the Skyhawk pilots cursed as the formation came under a intense barrage of flak. One A-4 goes down by a direct hit.

"Bombs away." Boris stated as he and the three remaining Skyhawks drop their bomb loads and pull up and out of the area. Once they left the area, the Skyhawk pilots started cheering, "Boris! I'm still alive!" one pilot cheered. Another pilot shouts, "We flew with Boris, the _Angel of Death_ and survived!"

Their celebrations were cut short though, as they were locked on by a number of Birkanian-built SA-2 surface-to-air missiles. They launch, to which Boris notices. "SAMs on our six! Split into tactical maneuvers!" The try but their efforts were futile. The remaining A-4s were shot down on impact while one detonates just off of Boris' left wing, damaging the fighter. As he turned his head and watched the Skyhawks fall the ground, Boris laments, "Once again. They all sink into the darkness..."

 **Area 88 Air Base, Kingdom of Asran**

 **05:17 Hours**

In the pre-dawn hours at Area 88, Shin walks out of the barracks and up to the apron. There, he sees Gustav in a Jeep, scanning the skies. "Are you waiting for Boris and the others?" Shin asks, only for Gustav to deadpan, "Just Boris." Realizing what Gustav meant, Shin simply said, "Oh, right..."

A moment of utter silence passes, before Gustav asks, "You can't sleep?" To which Shin replies, "Not really." The memories of a dogfight the other day against a group of MiG-17s in which he nearly died. He was so deep thinking about that day that he was taken off guard by Mickey Simon standing there, holding his flight helmet, a little miffed "Hey. You said you'd wait up for me." Shin replied, "Yeah..." Mickey started showing a sign of annoyance, "Well, that's what you said." He then turns to Gustav, and gives the pleasantries of the morning, "Mornin' Gustav." to which Gustav replies, "Morning."

Hearing the sound of a jet in the distance, Shin turns to the sky and says, "It's him." referring to Boris's Crusader coming in on final approach. Mickey immediately takes notice of the single Crusader. "And the _Angel of Death_ returns alone. Must've been one helluva fight." Boris' F-8J was badly damaged. Its left wing was sheered off at the point of where it folds. "He can fly on one wing? Now come to think of it, I have heard of some bonehead who once flew with his wings still folded up." Mickey continued in amazement and remembering something from the time when the Crusader was a mainstay of the Federated States Navy. As the F-8J comes in for a bit of a rough landing, Mickey says to Shin and Gustav, "Only Boris, the _Angel of Death_ can bring in a wreck like that." Gustav starts the Jeep's engine. "Well, busy day ahead." and he drives off to the hanger. Shin and Mickey then head to McCoy's PX shop. Mick then asks a question, "I heard he keeps the lights on while he sleeps. Is that true?" To which, Shin explains, "Yeah. He told me he's afraid of the dark because he's entered a world of darkness that he can't escape from. Morison even said that during the night, Boris screams out names. He assumes they were his comrades." This left Mickey silent, as the topic kept reminding him of something familiar.

Arriving there, Ol' McCoy takes notice. "Shin, I see you are still alive and kicking today." Shin then replies, "Morning, McCoy. What's the matter? Aren't you glad to be alive too?" The old man chuckles, "Who me? But of course I am, Shin! I'll be around in this world for a _long_ time. A long time." He is then reminded of something important. "By the way, I just happen to have come across some cheap AIM-9D Sidewinders. You wouldn't be interested by any chance, would ya?" Mickey then asks something, rather annoyed, "Hey Granddad! How do you manage to sleep nights, selling us weapons like this? I'd be more worried about you tasting hell fire at your age." McCoy replied, "Heh heh. I know you... Your name's Mick, isn't it?" He then continued his reply to Mickey with a bit of a lecture, "This is Area 88, boy! This _is_ hell! And what place is worse than hell itself, pray tell?"

Shin took the old man's side. "He's right, Mick." He then turns to McCoy, "By the way, McCoy... Just how cheap are these Sidewinders of yours?" The old man replies, "I'll let you have fifty of them for a thousand Dollars. How 'bout it then?" Shin is dumbstruck by this and asks skeptically, "Twenty Dollars each? That's practically giving them away. Are they defective or something? I can't risk flying into combat with missiles that don't fly." McCoy retorts, "Don't be stupid, Shin! Have I ever sold you a missile that doesn't fly?! Have I?!" Someone new comes to the conversation; it's Boris. "There was one time you sold me that flew very well. It merely failed to explode." Noticing Boris, McCoy says to him with a noticeable frown on his face, "Boris! Can't you see I'm trying to do business here?" The British pilot counters, "Even if it hits the target, if it doesn't explode, its a wasted shot; and that's dangerous." McCoy was literally begging at this point, "Not _these_ missiles. There might be a few like that, but not all of them." This convinced Shin to make his decision and says to the old man with a sympathetic smile, "Sorry, McCoy. But I'm not interested anymore." Realizing that he lost a potential customer, McCoy says to himself, "Oh, no..." As Shin walks away, the old man unleashes his irritation on the British pilot, "Hey Boris! What on Rostil's the matter with you?! Do you have some kind of grudge against me?!" The Briton replies, "When we are out there, we are risking our lives. Any misfire will be fatal for us. Don't take it so hard, McCoy." It was at this point that the old Californian was _pissed_ , "Shit! Damn you Boris!" Boris then nonchalantly says to Ol' McCoy, "I'll send you my pay to get my plane fixed." McCoy was pissed beyond a doubt, so when Mickey said, "Yo, McCoy!" the old man angrily replied, "What?!"

 **Area 88 Air Base, Kingdom of Asran**

 **20:30 Hours**

The sun sets on the horizon, red as blood. There was a briefing, an hour ago, and Shin sat in his F-8J Crusader's cockpit. In the silence, he says to himself, "The sun's going down... It's now 20:30 Hours." He puts on his gloves and continues, "Alright, let's go." The engines for Shin and Boris's F-8s started up, followed by Mick's F-100D, followed by the engines from Northrop F-5A Freedom Fighters. As the three F-5As reached the runway, the tower said to them via radio, "Blue Flight, you're clear for take off." The three F-5As accelerated down the runway and lifted off. "Tower to Green Flight, you are cleared for take off upon reaching the active runway." As Boris took off, Shin turned onto the runway, "Full power. Lighting afterburners." he said to himself as his Crusader accelerated down the runway, lifting into the air followed by Mickey's Sabre.

Once in formation and en route to the target, Mickey asked out of curiosity, "Shin, do you think we'll engage any enemy fighters tonight?" Shin replied, "I don't know, Mick. Our target is a supply base thirty miles north of the front line, near the village of Onkan. That base is reported to be loaded with surface-to-air missiles." Boris chipped in, "I wouldn't worry too much about their jets. When they have SAMs, they rarely call upon their air defense fighters." Shin was left wondering what was going in inside the Briton's head as he continued, "Now, standby to descend, gentlemen. We don't want to encounter any of those missiles, right?" The two flights descended to a safe altitude and leveled off at one thousand feet.

 **Ten miles to target...**

"This is Blue Flight to base. We've just entered the base's defense perimeter. The target is in sight. Looks like we're being welcomed by a mess of flare bombs." The lead F-5A pilot radioed back to Area 88, and then turned to his wingmen, "Alright, guys. To avoid their SAMs, we will be attacking with a low altitude charge." this was met with the other two pilots shouting, "Roger!" It was at this point that the three started acting as a disorganized unit, "I'm going to get that warehouse!" said the lead pilot. His number two shouted, "What an asshole! That twenty thousand Dollar prize money is going to be mine." This was followed by the number three pilot shouting, "It's mine! You hear me?!"

"Attack!" The lead pilot ordered as the three F-5As jettisoned their center line fuel tanks, flying to about five hundred feet off the ground. One of the pilots makes a rather greedy prayer, "Oh Lord, please give me that twenty thousand Dollars! Amen." Another of the three was quietly laughing and sweating bullets.

 **Asrani Revolutionary Army Supply Base**

 **21:34 Hours**

"Enemy aircraft entering the perimeter at low altitude! Looks like they're going at Mach One." The radar officer at the base shouted as his commanding officer came right up to him. "Impressive. Most impressive. They must be those mercenary pilots we've been dealing with as of late. We can't let them in any further! Release the Fang!" the officer ordered. The F-5As continue to approach the base, unaware of what horrors they're walking into. Pressing a button, one of the control room operators shouted, "Fang released!"

Out of no where, mere feet in front of the three F-5As, a giant wall of girded steel rose up to block the mercenary aircraft. The last transmission being the lead F-5A pilot shouting "Holy Ch-" leaving nothing but static at the end. They never stood a chance as their wings were ripped off by the steel girders. Laughing triumphantly, the Rebel control room officer stated, "Serves you right, you mercenary dogs!" His jubilation was cut short as his radar officer stated the impossible, "Sir! Two enemy aircraft have made it inside the perimeter!" Shocked, the Rebel officer shouts, "What?!" The radar officer, who is equally dumbstruck, continues, "They made it through the Fang!"

It was Shin and Boris, their Crusaders' wings were folded up, allowing them to fit through the steel wall. "With all the combat planes in the world, only the F-8 can fly with its wings folded!" Shin stated as he and the British pilot unfolded their wings and dropped their bombs on the target, dodging AA gunfire in the process. After pulling out of their bomb run, the two Crusader pilots noticed an explosion off their three o'clock. A MiG-17 'Fresco' went down, it's right wing torn off at the root.

"Nice kill, Mick." Shin said to his wingman. Mickey responded, "Man am I tired." Boris, his face showing signs of pain, asks, "Mick, were you defending us from above?" to which the Californian replied, "Yeah. I let you guys go after the big target while I stayed up high and swatted some flies. You ought to thank me a little." Boris' face starts going pale, he is sweating bullets, "No wonder... It was you who kept the heat off while we were coming in. No one attacked us from above... Even when we were flying at low speed with our wings folded. I want to thank you, Mick."

"If that's the case, I think we should divide the twenty thousand among the three of us." Shin suggested. Boris however made a different one, "No... We can't... The money will be split in half." Shin was outraged, "Boris! We managed to hit this target because of Mick's help! If it wasn't for him, we'd be burning on the ground back there!" Mickey says to his friend, "That's okay, Shin. If he's gonna be stingy, I don't want the money. Besides, it's only a measly six grand." Shin decided to have the final word, "Boris, you can have all of it if that's your attitude. I'm not taking the money either! I'm not going to take any of it if it means ignoring the help that Mick gave us!"

There was a second of silence, followed by labored laughing and coughing from Boris. "You guys are stupid, jumping to the wrong conclusions like that. When I said it should be split in half, I meant between the two of you." A second set of audible coughing got both Shin and Mickey's attention. Boris continues, coughing up blood, barely keeping his eyes open, "When those anti-aircraft guns started firing at us, a couple of rounds hit my plane... I caught one of them in the chest... I think it got a lung... The others went into the engine..." Shin was alarmed by this, "Boris!"

"It was nice to have friends like you... The older you get... the more you realize that real friends are the ones who will risk your lives with you... But you only find these friends when one of you... is about to die... That's war... That's life..." Boris continued as kept coughing up blood, losing consciousness. "It's sad... Having your friends die around you... and ending up all alone. So I... didn't want to make any friends... Now, I guess it's over... It seems I'll finally be able to rest in peace..."

Shin was starting to get desperate, trying to save his colleague, "Boris! Boris, pull up! Pull out of it! Come on, Boris! Pull up! We're all going to make it back together!" He then heard a rather ominous sentence from Boris, "Shin, when you get back... please turn off the lights in my room..." Shin was now truly getting desperate. "Boris!" as he heard the Briton's last words, "My friends... My colleagues... Steve... I've be with you all soon..." A few moments later, the British pilot's F-8J Crusader plowed into the ground. Boris was gone...

 **Area 88 Air Base, Kingdom of Asran**

 **22:47 Hours**

Upon Shin and Mickey returning to base, they were met by Prince Saki. "Good work, you two. The Rebels' troops retreated from the front line once you destroyed their base. They can't get their supplies from there anymore." Shin, who was still troubled by Boris' death simply said, "Saki..." The Asrani prince continued, "The number of aircraft used in this sortie was fifteen. Of these, eight have not returned. The next operation will take place the day after tomorrow." Shin simply replied, "Okay..." As Saki walked away, Mickey said to Shin, "Well, he sure isn't sociable..." "Yeah..." Shin agreed. Mickey then continued with a new topic, "Now I've got a bone to pick from that weasel, McCoy." Suspecting what it was, Shin asked, "Oh? Did he sell you some defective equipment?" Mickey replied, "Yeah. I bought some of those cheap Sidewinders, but..." Shin then guessed, "They didn't explode, right?" Mickey replied, miffed, "Oh, they exploded alright!" The Sunese pilot was now confused, "So what's your problem?" Utterly pissed off, Mickey started ranting, "There was something wrong with the fuse and it exploded before it hit the target! The damn thing blew up when it was three hundred feet away! What a rip-off!"

Walking back into the barracks, Shin noticed a group of people at Boris' room. Noticing the dufflebag, he asks, "Is this all the stuff that Boris left behind?" One of the technicians replied, "Yes, but we don't have any address to send it to. It looks like we'll have to keep it at headquarters." As they left, Shin stared in the empty room, reflecting. He then heard a voice, "I finally figured it out." Turning around, he saw Mickey at the doorway, completely cooled down from his earlier rant. "A long while back, I met a Darcsen pilot who was a veteran of the Adriannic War. In the darkness, he would see the faces of the friends and colleagues he lost, one after the other. Eventually, he closed himself off to the world. I never did find out what became of that veteran. But you could've called him an _Angel of Death_ too." A short pause, followed by Shin saying, "The _Angel of Death_ rumor was started by Boris himself." This surprised Mickey, as Shin continued explaining, "Other than him being a former RAF pilot, no one on base knew where in Britannia he came from, his past or why he was flying... Or why he came to Area 88 in the first place. Nobody ever will... His memories have been all but lost to the Asrani landscape and the setting sun." As Mickey silently left the room with more knowledge instilled into him, Shin turned to the doorway and put his hand on the light switch. "Rest easy, Boris..." He turned out the light, closed the door and proceeded to walk to his own room.

 _There are no grave markers for the pilots who died at Area 88. Their only place of rest is a co-ordinate point on the maps of the country. Tonight, they'll be making another crash point: AR-16-B7. He was a man named Boris... My_ friend _Boris..._


	3. The Boundless Wastes

_Betrayed souls roam the arid desert, mocking voices waver in the echoing haze. Why do you continue to fight? Why do you continue on living through extremes of suffering? In the desert, men shed their tears for pride or love. This lonely land dries out the heart._

* * *

 **THE BURNING MIRAGE**

 **BOOK 01**

 **SKIES OF BETRAYAL**

 **CHAPTER 03**

 **THE BOUNDLESS WASTES**

* * *

 **Three thousand feet over Asran**

 **24 April 1979 - 2325 Hours**

In the skies over Asran, near the village of Kiby, the F-8J Crusader piloted by Shin flies alongside a Hawker Hunter FGA.9, piloted by a newcomer, Kim Aba, a young pilot from the Emirate of Hatay. "Enemy aircraft confirmed at vector zero-four-zero. Turning to engage." Shin called out on the radio. Kim, in a rather cocky tone said, "Just watch, Shin! I bet today's the day I score before you! If you do, breakfast's on me!" Shin turned his head to the Hunter, and advises, "Don't get cocky, Kim. If you do, you're done for. Engage." The two planes roll in and engage the enemy formation, a group of four MiG-19s.

"Fox two!" Shin calls out, as he fires a Sidewinder at one of the MiG-19s. He gets a kill. "Splash one." The rest of the MiGs scatter and enter into an all out brawl against the Crusader and Hunter. "Sorry, Kim. You're buying." Shin states as the two mercenary pilots break formation and go after their respective targets. Kim takes on the wingman of the shot down MiG, while the more experienced Shin takes on the remaining two. Kim gets lead on the MiG-19 and fires his Hunter's four thirty millimeter ADEN cannons, "Guns!" The MiG-19's right wing is torn off.

Meanwhile, the two MiG-19s engaged by Shin break hard left. Shin, knowing that the AIM-9D Sidewinder can't sustain lock in high G turns avoids firing. He also avoids firing his cannons out of fear of jamming. Fixated on the MiG element lead, he loses sight of the wingman. Eventually, the MiG element lead levels out, losing sight of Shin's Crusader due to aforementioned fighter's blind spot. Shin gets a good tone on his Sidewinder and fires. The missile hits home. Upon shooting down the MiG-19, Shin puts his head back on a swivel as thirty millimeter tracers from the MiG-19 wingman's three cannons arc over his canopy.

"You are an Ace, Shin. But now it's my turn to be in the spotlight." Kim says as he pulls his Hunter onto the MiG-19's six o'clock. The MiG-19 fires first, putting cannon rounds into the Crusader's right wing before being torn to bits by the Hawker Hunter's cannons. Shin loses control of his Crusader, the altimeter drops like lead, as warning lights and sounds blare in the cockpit. Panicking, the Sunese pilot does everything he can; anything to stabilize his falling plane. Throttling up, he manages to regain control and pulls up less than five hundred feet off the deck.

"Shin! Are you alright?" Kim asks out of concern. "Now I am." Shin replied after unhooking his oxygen mask, he then tunes to the base's radio channel. "Area 88, Double-Echo. This is Kazama Shin, Zero-Zero Section, all bandits confirmed downed. Returning to base." The Crusader and Hunter form up and head back to base. On the way back, the Sunese pilot starts going deep into thought about how close he came to death a few minutes ago. Kim's voice snapped him out of his thoughts, turning his head, he sees the Hunter pilot. He then tells the newcomer, "Kim, breakfast is on me." This confuses the Hunter pilot. He replies, "But... Thanks Shin." The two planes proceed to return to base.

Upon returning to base, Shin enters his room in the barracks. Turning on the light, he grabs the black marker from the table and heads toward the calendar on his wall. Remembering how close he came to death, the Sunese pilot crosses out the date.

 **Five thousand feet over Asran**

 **2 May 1979 - 1124 Hours**

Shin Kazama pursues a MiG-17 'Fresco', trying to get a lead for a kill. "Guns!" Shin stated on the radio as he pressed the trigger. The F-8J's four twenty millimeter Colt Mk 12 cannons barked to life, tearing the MiG to pieces. He sees a second 'Fresco' turn tail and trying to leaving the airspace. Shin turned his F-8 to the MiG-17's six o'clock, and fires a Sidewinder. The missile hits the MiG-17's rear fuselage, tearing the tail off. As Shin looks at his vanquished foe, he says to himself, "Sorry. But it was either you or me."

"Good kill, Shin!" the voice of Kristopher Morison said as his F-101 Voodoo formed up on Shin's Crusader, having shot down a MiG-17, himself. "Thanks." Shin said as the two turned to head back home.

Suddenly, with the sun to their backs, a group of MiG-21bis 'Fishbed's dive on the Crusader and Voodoo. "MiG-21s?! Where the hell did they come from?!" Morison shouted to himself as four of the most advanced fighters in the Rebel arsenal thus far split up to pursue the two mercenary fighters. "Shit! They're on my tail!" Shin shouted as one of them gets lead and fires its twenty-three millimeter cannons, tearing holes into his Crusader. _"No!"_ He thought out loud as he tries to evade.

"I'm not in a good position either!" Morison shouted as he desperately tried to evade the MiG-21s. Inside the Crusader's cockpit, Shin was getting warnings of a fire in his engine. "Damn! The engine compressor's shot!" Shin told his colleague as he too tried to evade the lethal barrage of cannon fire from the 'Fishbed's. In a twist of fate, one of them overshoots and is now the prey. "Good. Now I'm on _his_ tail!" Shin stated as he tried to get in position for a gun kill. However, it was not to be, as the F-8's engine simply quit. _"No! No! No! No! No!"_ He desperately tried to regain control, but it was no use. He makes the decision to pull the lever and eject. He shoots out of his seat and his parachute deploys. He sees his colleague, Morison, try to protect him, but gets shot up as well. He too ejects from his stricken plane.

As the two mercenaries parachute to the ground, Shin cannot help but think about how he got into this mess in the first place...

 **Flashback - Paris, The Crowned Republic of Amerique**

 **12 November 1978 - 1802 Hours**

In the hotel room, Shin was packing his belongings for the return flight home. He hears a knock on the door, and he answers, "Yes?" Opening the door, is his childhood friend, Satoru Kanzaki. "Hey, Shin. What are you doing? Packing your bags already? We're not leaving until the day after tomorrow. Be real!" This got him musing, "Oh I know. You're ready to see Ryoko again, aren't you?" This caused a retort from Shin, "Shut up, will ya?!" Kanzaki continued to muse, "Well, I envy you, Shin, believe me. I mean, she's the daughter of the CEO of Yamato Airlines. You're going to get promoted _real_ fast. I know it." This caused Shin's face to turn red, "N-no, it's nothing like that, Kanzaki. First of all, I haven't even thought about our marriage yet. All I can think about now is flying."

"Well, at least you're not greedy, Shin." Kanzaki says with truthfulness on his face, "But with me, it's different." His face turns to one of sinister ambition, "I'll do anything to get to the top, and I'll let nothing stand in my way." Shin, not picking up on this, says to his childhood friend, "I've always wondered where your ambition comes from. It's a mystery to me. To tell the truth, I envy you." Hiding a sinister smirk, Kanzaki replied with a chuckle, "You're just too nice, Shin." Turning his head to Shin, he said, "Anyway, we've got the opportunity to become first rate pilots for Yamato Airlines. Let's stick to it!"

Shin replies, "Yeah..." He then gets on a new topic, "Hey Kanzaki, when we get back to White Sun, let's go visit the orphanage. I'm pretty sure the headmaster would be glad to see us." This gets a flat out reply from Kanzaki, "No... I won't go." Shin, shocked by this, stammers, "Why?!" to which Kanzaki explained, "I made a promise to myself when we left the orphanage. I decided that I wouldn't return there until I became a millionaire and could buy them a new building. Shin, listen. I'm not going to stay with Yamato Airlines forever. I'm going to start my own airline someday. That is my goal, and I am going to make it, no matter what. But please. Say "Hello" to the Headmaster for me, alright?" This gets a nod of approval from Shin, "Yeah, I will. Thanks, Kanzaki."

Stretching his arms out and putting them behind his head, Kanzaki makes an offer, "Now, let's not get all weepy-eyed, shall we? Let's say we go out and have some fun." Shin skeptical of this, asks, "Fun, huh? What do you have in mind?" Kanzaki replies, "Let's get smashed! We've let ourselves become too dirty with jet fuel and engine oil, so let's wash it off with alcohol. Come on, it'll be great!" With a smile, Shin replies, "Well... Okay, sure."

The next six hours were a nonstop party. "Let's check out another bar!" Kanzaki shouted as he and Shin walked about tanked through the streets of Paris, Shin trying to refuse. "N-n-no thanks! I c-c-c-can't take anymore!" They've become so drunk that Shin states, "Whoa... The Eiffel Tower is flying!" Kanzaki, just as tanked, replied, "Well... If I had to sit on the ground all day, I'd wanna fly too! The Edo Tower flies too!" Shin then asks, "Does the Kobe Tower fly?" Kanzaki continued, "Hell, yes! When they get tired of standing, they all fly!" This gets a worried look from Shin, "Then the sky's gonna be too crowded for us to fly!" Kanzaki came up with a solution, "Well then, we'll just have to stretch a whole lot of nets at ten thousand feet to keep the towers out of our way!" Shin then retorted, "That makes no sense at all!"

At the next bar, Shin was out like a light with a glass of wine toppled over. Kanzaki comes over and shakes Shin's shoulder. "Shin. Hey Shin. Get up. I've got something for you to sign." Groaning, Shin sat up and looked at the piece of paper, "Sign? Where? Will you let me sleep if I sign this?" Kanzaki then explains, pointing to a dotted line at the bottom of the paper, "You have to sign here. It's your permit to for stopping out." Tanked, Shin started signing, "This looks kinda big for a permit. I must be drunk..." And after putting his signature down, he passes out. Kanzaki takes the paper, and says with a sinister look on his face, "So long, Shin."

 **Five hours later...**

Shin lay down at the bar, out cold, until he was hearing a voice, "Hey, you! Get up!" Groaning, he slowly woke up, drowsily, he asks, "Who are you?" In front of him, were two male adults, one with a goatee, another with a hat like you'd see in the old Mafia films. Both of them are wearing suits. The one with the goatee says, "We're members of the Athena Corporation. Get your belongings. You're coming with us!" The man with the mobster styled hat continued, "Hurry up! You're on contract as of this morning." Shin, confused, asks, "Contract? What are you talking about? You guys are making a mistake. I haven't signed any contract." The one with the goatee replied, "Your name is Kazama Shin and you're Sunese, correct?" Shin confirms, "Yeah, that's right. And I'm also a foreign student, sent to flight school by Yamato Airlines." The man with the goatee corrected, "You mean you _were_. As of eleven o'clock last night, you left Yamato Airlines and joined the Athena Corporation, contracted to the Kingdom of Asran's Air Force. From this point on, you are a soldier. You will follow our orders as such, understand?"

Shin's face turned pale, "W-What?!" The man with the goatee, without so much as caring about this situation, without so much as questioning why the Sunese pilot was shocked, simply told, "Hurry up. Our car is waiting." It was at this point that Shin started to panic, "Kanzaki! Help!" This cry for help only gave him a punch to the face by the goateed man. "Mr. Kazama, do you want to be shot as a deserter?" Continuing to panic, Shin shouted, "I don't remember joining any any damn PMC air force!" He was handed the paper, seeing his signature, his face turns even paler. "Wh-Why? Th-This can't be true! But... This is my signature!" The goateed man explains, "This contract states that you will serve the Kingdom of Asran under the Athena Corporation for three years starting today. We don't care about your past, your record, or your nationality. We welcome everyone, so long as they are good pilots." Shin desperately tries to remember what caused this predicament. He suddenly recalls Kanzaki's words, _"I'll do_ anything _to get to the top..." "Hey Shin! I've got something for you to sign."_ His blood boiling with rage, Shin comes to only one conclusion:

He was betrayed.

"Kanzaki... Why? Why? Why did you do this to me?"

 **The deserts of Asran**

 **2 May 1979 - 1203 Hours**

As Shin lies unconscious on the desert sand, Morrison finds Shin and wakes him up. "Hey! Shin! Wake up! You alright?"

Regaining consciousness, Shin states to no one in particular, "D-Dammit... I...Won't die. I...I _refuse_ to die here..." Morison, hearing Shin, says, "Don't worry Shin, I've activated the emergency beacon. They'll be sending out a SAR chopper to pick us up. We've got to move, though." This was enough of an explanation for Shin to understand. If the Rebels found them, they will be tortured for information. Nodding 'yes', the two started walking, using Morison's compass to get to Area 88 air base by themselves. Shin started thinking out loud, "I... will... survive... and get my revenge... on that _bastard_! You hear me... Kanzaki?!" Morison started wondering if Shin was either thinking about his past, or was going mad from the heat. "Kanzaki?" the New Edwardian pilot asked in confusion. Shin simply replied, "He's the reason why I'm stuck here in this Hell." Realizing that Shin was here because he was betrayed, Morison nodded. Along the way, they discarded their flight helmets to let their heads get some air. Over the next few miles, their survival kits' water supply started running out.

Finally, Shin collapsed, desperately trying to get one last drop of water out of his bottle. "Shin!" Morison urged as he tried to help his colleague. "I... can't go any further. And the water from my survival kit... All gone too. I guess I may die here after all..." Deeply worried, Kristopher urged, "Shin! Don't give up!" He tried to give Shin some of his water, but it was no use. It too was empty. "Dammit!" Seeing his colleague collapse onto the sand, Shin thinks out loud, "I guess I really _will_ die here... Might as well... I guess..." He then starts thinking, _"When I am gone... When I leave this place... All the things I hated in life will disappear too... I am getting tired of the killing... I am getting worn out... This isn't bad, really... Letting the sand embrace me like this... I was going to die eventually... So let me sleep now... Let me rest..."_

The two mercenaries start hearing the sound of a helicopter, they look up, and see a Bell UH-1H Twin Huey; their SAR helicopter. The sounds of two jets screaming across the sky as they kept the helicopter safe. The sound of their burners went by overhead, fading into the blue sky.

Shin was given another shot at life... To have another chance at revenge against Kanzaki.

" _I_ will _make it back to White Sun."_ Shin thought as he and Morison rode on the Twin Huey back to Area 88 Air Base.


End file.
